The Man From Foodcourtia
by DanniB
Summary: Zim is hunted by a cop trying to take him back to the banishment he "quit" so long ago
1. Tracking successful

The man from Foodcourtia~ by DanniB  
  
  
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I still do not own Zim; as much as I'd like to, I do not. He is the property of Jhonen Vasquez! Oh yeah and Nickelodeon.   
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Thanks to everyone who gave my last story great reviews I love you all!  
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Space in all its inky blackness. Scattered with stars twinkling in perpetual night. Even rarer then the stars were the magnificent planets. The galaxy contained few, but those fantastic orbs orbited majestically around the mighty life giving sun. Sadly only life occurred on one planet of nine.   
  
Yellowed eyes looked down at the blue and green marble though the windows of an interstellar ship gliding though the void. A hulking figure looked at a scanner on the dashboard of the cockpit. A little light was flashing on it. The figure knew what it meant, his search was at its end, he had found the elusive creature he was sent to find. He grinned with gleaming teeth as the tracker blip's identity passed his lips.  
  
  
"ZIM"  
  
++++++++++++  
  
  
Regular playground screeching filled the air, the choir of children at recess accompanied by the squeaking of swing chains, bouncing balls running feet, creaky slides and the occasional click of a jump rope swishing the ground. An orchestra of childhood delights amid the 45-minute freedom from the tedious school day.   
  
By the seesaws wasn't the most important of events but definitely a comically pitiful sight. Little Melvin sat perched atop the highly suspended end of the teeter-totter shaking like a leaf looking down at the pavement far below his swinging feet. Clinging to the handlebars with fear he angled his eyes down at the large smiling bulk that was Torque Smaky sitting on the other end, weighing it down forcing Melvin to remain helplessly up in the air.  
  
"Torque, I'd like to get down now!" Melvin timidly squeaked.   
  
"Oh, you wanna get down?" Torque Smirked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
With a heave of his massive body the large boy leaped off his end of the seesaw letting Melvin plummet speedily to the ground landing with a painful smack that shot through his body. He let out a tiny squeal still feeling the pain in his butt.  
  
Lavender-blue eyes watched this moment with sadistic pleasure. Zim smiled filled with glee sitting on the end of a neighboring seesaw, the opposite side of which was empty, hovering above the ground as Zim on his end hopped periodically trying to appear as though he were playing on it.   
  
"Pitiful light boy." He announced before emitting a loud cackle.   
  
Annoyed by Zim's laughter or just freaked out by it, some children surrounding the area gave him a peculiar look before slowly backing off. Zim still tickled by Melvin's misfortune, continued chuckling until he lost his balance and teetered off his seat onto the gravel beneath him. Recovering from his bumped body, he failed to notice the end of the seesaw spring up then fall hitting his head upon its decent.   
  
"Inferior earth plaything" he growled.   
  
The shrill clang of the school bell drew the children back towards the building like mindless sheep brainwashed by repetition. Zim got to his feet and wearily followed the horde of stink beast pups rubbing the back of his head. He dreaded having to return to class and Miss Bitters' cynical lessons, but an invader must put himself through such tortures if he is to achieve global domination.   
  
A darkly hidden figure watched Zim from across the street. The little alien walked slowly towards the educational facility. All the other kids had already re entered the building, leaving him by himself.   
  
Zim reached for the closing door leading to get back into the school as the sunlight behind him vanished leaving a slight chill on his back. Probably a cloud, he thought nothing of it until...  
  
"Zim," a deep voice said, "we finally meet again"   
  
That voice was familiar but Zim dismissed it.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'm late for class." He turned to tell the stranger off and ended up looking face to face with a mammoth form standing over him. Its malice filled yellow eyes hauntingly and terrifyingly familiar.   
  



	2. target located

Zim shivered in the shadow of this visitor, his eyes widening with an overwhelming dread. That voice, those eyes, it couldn't be.  
  
"What's wrong Zim?" the figure said "Don't you remember me?"   
  
"No." Zim lied, hoping this terror would think it had make a mistake and leave.  
  
"Now Zim, I know you're lying," it leaned in closer "I can hear it in your voice."   
  
Zim swallowed hard trying to keep composure, trying to tell himself that this really wasn't happening. But it was happening and there was nothing he could do but deny it. He put on his best façade and faced forward.  
  
"Listen, I'm just a kid trying to get back to class." The little green one said slowly backing his way to the door. Even being in his mind- numbing classroom surrounded by vile humans was a more appealing then this situation.   
  
"Zim, you little ruse isn't working on me. I recognize you even in that ridiculous disguise. Now, do I have to read you your rights?" The figure took a small object from the pocket of the long brown coat it used to conceal itself from curios earthling eyes. It was a small red square with a translucent center. The clear surface lit up with a picture, a photograph, and an identification statement.   
  
The picture was of a logo that made Zim very uneasy; two spatulas crossed over a hamburger.   
  
The statement quoted; "Foodcourtia security, Senior officer Ogges. Rank: Captain."  
  
The photo was of a dark maroon-skinned creature, face all wrinkled and serious. Small horns lined its head and its eyes were a bright angry yellow.  
  
"I have been searching all over the uncharted territories for you." Ogges said showing off his badge. "Your escape had made the officials on Foodcourtia very angry."  
  
Zim finally caved in. There was no tricking this officer no matter how hard he tried.  
  
"I've told you already, I quit." Zim folded his arms looking Ogges straight into the eyes sternly.  
  
Ogges looked back with an unchanging glare.  
  
"Don't be a fool Zim," he said, "you can't 'quit' being banished. You escaped and I've been after you ever since to get you back."  
  
"Well you may as well turn around and go back because I'm on a new assignment now." Zim smiled, with his new mission there was no way Ogges could take him back to that wasteland of deep fryers and burger flipping.   
  
Ogges' expression remained unchanged, his face still stone and unwavering under the wide brimmed hat he was wearing.  
  
"You expect me to believe that? Honestly Zim, the Tallest would never give you a new mission after what you did on Irk." He narrowed his eyes sending a feeling of cold anxiety through Zim's body. "And even if they did, I would have gotten notice of it."  
  
Zim narrowed his own eyes; he was not about to give himself up so easily. He knew for a fact the tallest had given him this mission on Earth.   
  
"It's a secret mission," Zim explained "Maybe your superiors got the news."  
  
"I *AM* the superior officer Zim." Ogges growled "And any notice pardoning you from banishment was not received by me."  
  
Zim sweated, he was starting to become scared that his mission was so secret the Tallest had neglected to tell Foodcourtia he was on it.  
  
"Listen, maybe you just didn't get it yet. You know the mail to Foodcourtia is pretty slow, being a place of banishment and all." Zim smiled with a smug look on his face but a growing panic in his soul. He grabbed the door handle and readied himself to bolt inside, perhaps to loose Ogges in the school halls. He was not fast enough though, the second he opened the door Zim felt a large hand come down upon his back and rip him away from the door handle lifting him up by his shirt color.   
  
"FOOL!" Zim shouted, a mixture of anger and fear in his voice. "You're interrupting a very important invasion!" The little alien struggled in the grasp of a large thick purple hand. "You're interfering with imperial irken business!"   
  
"No more excuses Zim," Ogges scowled "You're coming with me."   
  
"NO!" Zim shouted, his panic now in full swing "You can't take me back! Not now! I'm in the middle of a mission! Please let me go! This may be my last chance to prove to the Tallest that I'm a worthy invader!"   
  
"Even if you are telling me the truth, it is still my duty to return you to banishment until I see some proof that what you say is true." Ogges held Zim up at eye level, the irken struggling and pleading with this intergalactic officer of the law.   
  
"Couldn't you make an exception just this once? This mission is REALLY important."  
  
Ogges held Zim's shirt firmly. It didn't look like he cared about this invader's affairs no matter how important they were to the invader. This made Zim even more frantic. He wiggled and pulled trying to get free, but nothing seemed to be working.   
  
A schoolteacher arriving late from his lunch break was passing through the playground when he overheard the faint sounds of struggle.  
  
"Excuse me sir?" He asked pulling Ogges' attention away from his capture. "What are you doing with that boy?"  
  
"Help me!" Zim shouted, pushing back the realization he was asking a human for aid "he's trying to..."   
  
A strong hand clasped over Zim's mouth silencing his cries.   
  
"Oh, I am... uh... ummm..." The officer quickly came up with a lie to cover his tracks. "I'm this boy's uncle. I'm taking him out of school early in order to take him to a ... a family reunion."   
  
Zim protested muffled under his captor's thick mitt, eyes wide with fear. He pleaded to himself hoping that this human would detect his distress.  
  
"I see," the teacher said slowly "Did you sign him out at the main office?"  
  
"Uhh... yes?"   
  
"Oh ok, have fun!"   
  
With a smile and a wave Zim's last hope disappeared into the dark school building.  
  
Idiot human. That was the last time Zim secretly begged for a homosapian's help. He kicked his legs and gripped his hands around Ogges' massive fingers trying to pry them off his mouth. As the coast became clear the cop removed his hand letting his prisoner breathe easier.   
  
"I suggest you conserve your strength," he told his gasping captive, "we have a long trip ahead of us."   
  
"You don't know what kind of mistake you're making!" Zim hissed "I am a TOP invader, and I will fight you to the death if necessary to protect my mission!"  
  
Ogges sighed,   
  
"Zim, look at yourself, now look at me... you haven't got a chance."   
  
Zim looked the officer over. It was true; Ogges was immense and could easily crush his puny irken skull like an egg. He looked up into those yellow eyes, those unfeeling eyes that had no mercy for this troubled invader. Zim knew he would receive no mercy, he would need to get out of this himself. He stared into those eyes and was suddenly struck with an idea.  
  
"I may be smaller the you," he smirked "but I'm smarter."  
  
Suddenly two spider legs popped out of his back pod and poked Ogges' eyes. The officer roared in pain dropping Zim to cover his face from further prodding. Zim landed on his feet and quickly ran off towards his house. There he could come up with a plan to protect himself and his mission.   
  
Ogges finished rubbing eye sore eyes and cursing himself for dropping his target. He looked up in the direction Zim was fleeing in and sighed knowing this chase may take a while.   
  
"Zim, you were always a difficult one. So very troublesome."   
  



	3. Zim on the run

He ran down the street as fast as his thin little legs could carry him. The size difference between him and his pursuer played to his advantage, he was much quicker. He had stayed in shape too; many encounters with Dib continuously had him running for his life. But this time he wasn't just running for his life... he was running for his freedom.  
  
Periodically he glanced behind to see if Ogges was following. No sight of the cop yet, but to be sure Zim quickened his pace. His pulse pounded as he ran, green skin glistening with sweat. A memory played through his head back to the last time he had encountered Captain Ogges of the Foodcourtia police.   
  
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
"I Quit!"  
  
Zim ripped off his apron and threw it to the ground, his fellow banishes watched on in shock.  
  
"You can't just get up and quit." Said a tall blue alien who had been peeling some potatoes.   
  
"Well I am!" Zim shouted "Didn't you hear what those Irkens over at table twelve said? The tallest are planning a new Operation Impending Doom! Surely they'll be needing my services."   
  
"Wasn't the first Operation Impending Doom the reason you were sent here in the first place?" asked a chubby piggish alien manning the deep fryer.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure they've gotten over that little thing by now." The pint-sized Irken said rather confidently. "Well, I'm off!" he turned and walked calmly for the exit.  
  
"Shouldn't we try to stop him?" asked the blue creature.   
  
"Nah," snorted the pink one "I wanna see how far he gets before security whoops him big time."   
  
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_  
  
Zim peered down a dark corridor heading towards where the impounded ships were kept. All he had to do was get to his voot runner and he'd be on his way.  
  
The coast was clear. He had been able to keep hidden from the guards this far. Of course this was easy for a great invader such as he. The hall was quiet and seemingly deserted; he walked along the wall until he felt secure that he was truly alone and not being watched. He failed to notice the hall was being manned by hidden cameras.   
  
"Where do you think you're going?" a voice said from behind.  
  
Zim twirled around. A security guard was standing shining a light stick directly on the fleeing slave.   
  
"Oh, I'm leaving." Zim smiled truthfully "you see the empire is arranging another wide-scale invasion and I thought..."  
  
"You know there's no leaving banishment." The guard snarled.  
  
"I quit, don't worry if you haven't heard yet, the word's still getting around."  
  
  
The guard pulled out a weapon, a thin firing arm tipped with an electric dart.  
  
"Don't make me use this one you."  
  
Zim smiled cockily,  
  
"Don't worry, you won't have to."  
  
With a sudden leap aided by his utility pack's spider legs, Zim sprang into the guard knocking the weapon from his hand. With the solider on the ground the escaping Irken continued running for the exit.   
  
The guard got up and pulled a walky talky type device out of his pocket.   
  
"Request back up! Prisoner escaping!" he shouted.  
  
_^_^_^^_^_^_^_^_^_  
  
Zim entered the clearing, the parking lot where all impounded ships were being held. Surrounded by razor wire, automatic laser rifles, robot guards, and covered by a giant clear dome there was no way in heaven a prisoner could escape. But Zim was confident for he was no prisoner. As far as he was concerned he was an invader going back to work. He ran for the lot using his wits, agility, and spider legs to maneuver around the many obstacles lacing the way. A troop of guards stormed out into the area.  
  
"Halt or we'll shoot!" one shouted.   
  
Zim squealed frightfully but continued running, avoiding blaster fire along with the defenses of the lot itself. He smiled to himself seeing how far he had gotten.   
  
"So long fools!" He yelled back at them "this invader's flying out of here!" He laughed heartily knowing that 100 yards away was his ticket out of there. His laughter suddenly was cut short by a large mass colliding with his face.   
  
"Going somewhere Zim?" asked a deep voice.  
  
Zim looked up, his body still reeling from the impact. Ogges looked down with contempt.   
  
"Outta my way!" Zim demanded, "I'm leaving!"   
  
"Zim, is this going to be like the time you tried to proclaim yourself lord of the deep fryer?" Ogges asked, ready to grab the little escapee.   
  
"You have to let me go." Zim glared "The tallest are waiting for me!"   
  
Ogges snorted,   
  
"Zim, stop being so delusional" he aimed a tazer prod at the small one "return to your post in the kitchen."   
  
"No." Zim snarled defiantly. "My destiny awaits! I have quit my post in this festering Hades and am taking back my rightful place as an Irken invader!"   
  
Ogges reeled back his prod ready to use it.   
  
"Don't say you were never warned."  
  
He thrust the sparking stick at Zim.  
  
Zim reacted quickly, ducking the prod and skidding under Ogges' tall legs. Laser fire resumed barely missing him. One shot grazed his antenna but he would not be detoured. Then he saw it. His voot runner parked snuggly with the other confiscated ships. He opened the bubble top and jumped into the driver's seat. Guards began to flood the area heading for his ship. He turned on the controls and started the engines lifting the ship gently of the ground as some guards tried to jump on top of it to weigh it down. Zim gasped and pulled a lever making the voot runner spin, knocking off the attacking soldiers. Pulling another lever and pushing some buttons the ship took flight towards the top dome, which was thankfully open at the time.   
  
Ogges slammed his fist on a control panel on a wall nearby. The two halves of the top dome began to close quickly.  
  
Zim steered the runner around continuing laser fire as he noticed the roof closing. He squeaked a squealing gasp and pulled up on the controls sending the ship into a straight vertical assent. Luck was with that little Irken that day; his ship was small enough to slip through the tiny crack of free space left before the roof dome snapped shut.  
  
A guard ran up to Ogges,   
  
"Sir, he's leaving the Foodcourtian territory, should we follow him?"  
  
Ogges looked up through the giant glass dome out towards the vastness of space where Zim's ship was a fading dot amongst the stars.  
  
"I'll go after him." He answered.  
  
^_^_^_^_^_^^_^_^_^_^  
  
Zim looked back at the fading prison planet. Its blinking neon signs, flaming lakes of grease, and perpetual stench of meat was now a dimming memory. Never again would he be forced to lift a spatula, wait a table, peel a potato, or restock the rotating buffet table. Ahead of him was his destiny and nothing could take it away.  
  
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
He paused to catch his breath behind a building. His tiny chest heaved with rapid panting. His hand wiped some perspiration off his face and ran his fingers through his sweat soaked false hair. His think snake -like tongue dangled out of his mouth slightly as he wheezed.   
  
Zim turned his head to peek around the corner. His eyes shrank in fear as he spied Ogges coming towards his hiding spot. The officer marched through a four-way intersection where a sports car came to a skidding stop.  
  
"Hey you nut!" The driver shouted waving his hand with an obscene gesture "get outta the road!"   
  
Ogges remained silent grabbing the car's front bumper and tossing the vehicle over his shoulder. The car landed with a crash offside followed by a loud explosion.   
  
Zim shrieked and resumed running, Ogges spotted the fleeing Zim and once again took chase.  
  
Zim entered the cul-de-sac with quickening haste. Only a few more yards and he'd be safe in his fortress. He ran up the walkway, past the gnomes, pulled open the door and slammed it behind him. He gripped the knob still with his fist, shaking as he took a deep breath. Ogges would be there soon and no mere door would stop a determined police officer, especially one with the tremendous strength this one possessed.   
  
"Computer, security code red level 3!" he shouted.  
  
Metal bars clanked down on the windows that expanded to wide slits that covered the entire glass and pane. A thick steal panel slammed down in front of the door sealing it tight. More metal sprang from the ground encasing the house like armor turning it into an impenetrable metal box. With that done Zim exhaled a sigh of relief, then out of shear exhaustion collapsed onto the ground.  
  
He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. There wasn't much else he could do but wait now. But there had to be something he thought. This was his freedom at stake here and he wouldn't give it up for anything. This was his target planet and nothing could take him away from his mission, not until the planet was destroyed and every stinking human was under his command. He had gotten so close so many times; global domination was so near it was almost tangible to him. This was his destiny, the soil beneath him, his ultimate goal. He must protect it but what else could he do?  
  
His answer came to him on little squeaky feet.   
  
GIR skipped in from the kitchen slurping up a chocolate-bubblegum flavored "Suck Monkey" Ice drink. He saw his master lying on the floor staring up at the ceiling. The green puppy-bot walked over to Zim's reclined head and looked upward hoping to see what his master was so busy looking at. He gazed upward for half a minute slurping still until he noticed the alien in disguise looking at him, a gleam of thought in his lavender eyes. GIR let the straw drop from his sticky mouth as he held the frosty cup out to his master.  
  
"Want some?" he asked smiling, brown syrup dripping off his tongue.  
  
"GIR!" Zim suddenly exclaimed, "Am I glad to see you!"  
  
GIR grinned dropping the Ice drink and hugging Zim around the neck with cold damp paws.   
  
"I missed you too." He squeaked.  
  
Zim pulled his robot off his neck and glared at him sternly.  
  
"GIR, there is someone coming here who'd trying to take me away."  
  
"We're going on vacation?" GIR asked, "I wanna go to Adventure Land!"   
  
"No GIR," Zim sighed, "I need to persuade this person into realizing that I am on a mission on this planet... and you are going to help me."   
  



	4. Calling the tallest

Ogges came up to the house coated in a metal shell and was greeted with eyes of many gnomes ready to shoot at a moments notice.   
  
"You know that shooting me will only make things worse for you Zim." He shouted.   
  
A panel on the box opened and Zim, in his alien form, timidly addressed the officer.  
  
  
"Look, I can prove to you I'm on a mission." He picked GIR up off the ground and sat him in the window. "See, I have a SIR unit, like all the other invaders."  
  
The tiny silver robot smiled and waved, ignorant of the threat Ogges was to his master.  
  
"That piece of junk does not look like a standard Irken slave robot." Ogges said unimpressed.   
  
"Well he's an advanced model," Zim insisted "You probably haven't seen one like it before." He turned to his robot. "GIR! State your designation!"   
  
"Yes Sir!" GIR saluted, his eyes turning red. He turned facing Ogges, his eyes melted back to cool blue.   
  
"Hi! I'm GIR! Wanna go out for a taco?"  
  
Zim grunted and slapped himself in the forehead.  
  
"If you don't wanna taco you don't hafta come." GIR told his master.   
  
"Don't make me laugh Zim," Ogges chuckled "Apparently you're insane thinking that little heap of trash is a robot slave."  
  
GIR frowned,  
  
"You're mean" he narrowed his eyes "You're paying for your own taco!"   
  
Zim grabbed his mechanical companion leering.  
  
"GIR, just be quiet, ok?"   
  
"Kay." The little into unit clasp his hands over his mouth but giggled thinking his master wanted to play another game.  
  
"Zim let's make this easy and turn yourself in already." Ogges advanced to the open window. Zim gasped and ducked away from the opening then sealed it up again with a metal slab clanging down.  
  
"Alright Zim, you made me do this the hard way." The cop began to pound the metal door sending the sound of hollow banging throughout the house.  
  
"Now what am I going to do?" Zim asked aloud "Ogges will get in here soon. He just won't listen to me." He groaned "If I can't complete my mission because of him the Tallest will be very angry with..." he paused, eyes widening with an idea. "How could I be so blind!? Come GIR, to the lab!"   
  
Zim ran towards the kitchen, leaping into the trashcan and sending himself to his laboratory. GIR followed, little hands still clasp over his mouth.   
  
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_  
  
"What is it now Zim?" Red groaned, his face displaying great annoyance.   
  
Zim saluted to the image on his transmitter.  
  
"Sirs I'm calling to ask you something of great importance."  
  
"It had better be" Purple said from off screen "We're in the middle of important business." He looked up wards at the hovering robot giving him a backrub and whispered "a little lower."   
  
"It is," Zim continued, "it involves Captain Ogges of the Foodcourtia police. He happens to be at my door at this very moment insisting that he take me back to banishment. Now I told him that you sent me on a mission here on Earth but apparently he doesn't believe me."  
  
"Oh, really?" Red asked a bit bewildered glancing back towards Purple. The Tallest had been so determined to rid themselves of Zim that they had never considered the effect his escape and disappearance would have on Foodcourtia.  
  
"Yes sirs," Zim replied "and I was wondering if you by chance could explain to him that he's made a terrible mistake."   
  
Purple gazed up at Red sharing an unsure look between them. They both looked up at the screen where the image of Zim was waiting patiently but with a glint of worry in his eyes.  
  
"Um, about that Zim..." Red began lifting his gaze back to the monitor, "could you hold on for just a sec?"  
  
Before Zim could give an answer his monitor greeted him with a black screen with the red Irken symbol in the center covered over with the words "Please stand by" and some rather irritating elevator music.  
  
"They're giving us music." Smiled GIR who began humming along.   
  
Zim fretted, grinding his teeth, hoping this wouldn't take too long. Suddenly a loud crashing noise could be heard from upstairs.  
  
"It's Ogges!" Zim shouted, "Come GIR, we need to hold him off until the tallest come back!"   
  
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
"So... what do we do?" Red asked Purple who was quickly getting into a titular colored robe.  
  
"Well we have to weigh things in a situation like this." The other Tallest replied. "On the upside if we let Ogges take Zim in, He'd be back in banishment."  
  
"And he wouldn't bother us anymore. That's good" Red smiled.  
  
"But he'd be closer to Irk." Purple added.  
  
"Ooh, that's bad." Red paused in thought, "but what are the chances that he'd try escaping again?"  
  
Purple crossed his arms "Knowing Zim, he would try a thousand times. One time he might even succeed, he did once before."  
  
"Ok that's bad"  
  
"Plus then he'd know his mission on earth is a fake."  
  
"Oh yeah. That would make him angry wouldn't it?"  
  
Purple nodded affirmatively.   
  
Red's eyes widened,   
  
"That would be really bad."  
  
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+   
  
  
Zim ran into the living room just as Ogges had ripped his way through the front door. The officer faced his prey with his true face seeing as how his floppy hat had fallen off upon his entrance. Zim gulped hard. His veins pounding with fear, he would not let his fear show. He narrowed his eyes and spoke.   
  
"I'm warning you for the last time that you're making a big mistake. I've already called the Almighty Tallest and they're going to be calling back any minute to scold you for your error, maybe they'll take away your badge."   
  
"Your threat isn't scaring me Zim." Ogges replied. "Now give yourself up."   
  
Zim took a step back and sneered.  
  
"You've forced me to take drastic measures. GIR attack!"  
  
GIR's eyes glowed red,  
  
"Yes my master!"   
The tiny robot leapt up onto the policeman's head and began banging away at it like a bongo drum squeaking happily.   
  
Ogges sighed not feeling any pain from this, only annoyance,   
  
"This is quite pathetic."   
He plucked the info unit off his head and tossed it to the ground. GIR landed on his back and sat up facing his master.  
  
"Zim, why do you have to make my job so difficult?" Ogges asked.  
  
"Your job?" Zim nearly exploded "Your Job!? What about my job!? I am an invader and you're trying to take that away from me! Well this Irken isn't going to take this lying down any longer!"  
  
The two aliens glared each other down, neither one willing to move for the other, each one determined to do his job till the very end.  
  
A beeping suddenly filled the air. Zim looked down at a flashing light on a small device he had taken up from his lab.  
  
"The Tallest are back!" He exclaimed. "Now we'll see who's right. I'll patch them through to the TV." He pushed a few buttons on the device and the image of the tallest appeared on the wide television screen.   
  
"Well my Tallest?" he waited eagerly.   
  
"Capitan Ogges?" The two tall Irkens addressed. The wrinkled police officer looked towards the screen. The Tallest continued, an evident look of apathy on their faces.   
  
"We must inform you that this..." they rolled their eyes "Invader is indeed on a mission and removing him from it would disrupt the plans of the empire."  
  
"If this mission was so important why were the officials of Foodcourtia not informed about the acquittal of his banishment?"   
  
  
The two Irken leaders glanced at each other,   
  
"It got lost in the mail." They said simultaneously.   
  
Ogges looked back at them a bit surprised.  
  
"I see. Well then in that case..." he turned to Zim and bowed his head. "I apologize for the inconvenience I have given you. I will leave you alone to continue your mission."  
  
"Of course." Zim smiled standing confident and full of himself.   
  
Ogges turned to leave,  
  
"I will alter your warrant to be in suspension pending your success." He added picking up his hat.  
  
Zim faltered,  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"It means if you fail, I will return for you."  
  
The officer tipped his hat placing it back on his head as he headed out the door and walked out into the cul-de-sac away from the house.  
  
  
Zim blinked a few times then walked over to the fallen front door. He lifted it off the ground and placed it back on its hinges. The protective shell retracted off the house reverting it back to its original form.   
  
"Is that all?" Asked Purple looking rather board from the television screen.  
  
"My Tallest I thank you." Zim saluted "And you will be well repaid when I conquer this planet."  
  
"Sure, sure, fine." Red interrupted "now we'd like to get back to work." As the transmission ended Zim could swear he heard Red say to Purple, "And I get the Jacuzzi first this time."  
  
  
The house was very quiet for a few minutes. GIR looked up at his master who stood silently facing the turned-off TV. Zim walked over to the couch, sat down on it and laid down across the cushions. GIR hopped up after him and sprawled himself out across the alien's chest, smiling stupidly at the green face, staring up with wide blue eyes.  
  
  
"Another crisis averted GIR," Zim sighed, "We can put this terrible event behind us and continue the mission."  
  
He placed one hand behind his head and the other on GIR's back tapping his index finger lightly. He thought about what Ogges had said about his warrant. He looked GIR in the eyes, the robot could sense worry in the red orbs staring at him.  
  
"It shouldn't be too hard to reach success." The Irken concluded "We've come close many times before. It should only be a matter of time before the planet is ours for the taking..." he paused with a worried look, "Right?"   
  
  
[THE END]   
  



End file.
